parker



(No'ModelJ) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. 0. F. PARKER. CASH AND PARCEL CARRIER APPARATUS. No. 468,443.

Patented Peb. 9, 1892.

2 SheetsSheet (No Model.)

0. FLPARKER. CASH AND PARCEL CARRIER APPARATUS. No. 468,443.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. PARKER, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO ALBERT lVHITE, OF SAME PLACE.

CASH AND PARCEL CARRIER APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 468,443, dated February 9, 1892.

Application filed November 28, 1890. Serial No. 372,824. (No model.)

To all whom zit may concern: of the switch-box on the line 16 16 and 17 17, Be it known that I, CHARLES F. PARKER, a respectively, in Fig. 13, and rear elevations citizen of the United States, residing at Lowof the carrier; Fig. 18, a side elevation of the ell,in the county of Middlesex and Commoncarrier; Fig. 19, a plan of the same; Fig. 20,

5 wealth of Massachusetts, have invented acera vertical section, from front to rear, of the tain new and useful Improvement in Cash upper part of the carrier, showing in side eleand Parcel Carriers, of which the following vation the hook which engages the cable; is a specification. Fig. 21, a front or rear elevation of the upper My invention relates to cash and parcel carpart of the carrier, showing said hooks and a to riers; and it consists in the devices and comstop.

binations hereinafter described and claimed. A are counters of a store. B is a cashiers In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is desk, these parts being of the usual construca plan of counters and of my improved cash tion. 5

. and parcel carrying apparatus arranged above 0 is a flexible endlesscord or cable, which 15 the same, showing five stations adapted for passes over a grooved pulley c, secured to a the use of salesmen, also a plan of the cash shaft c', supported in suitable hangers or iers desk; Fig. 2, an isometric view of the tloor-brackets c c. To the shaft 0 is secured case, which contains one of the pulleys used a fast pulley c, rotated by a belt C from any to change the direction of motion of the caconvenient source of power, as a dynamo,

2o bio and adjacent parts of the slotted tube in steam-engine, or other motor. The pulley c which the cable travels; Fig. 3, a plan of the is loose on the shaft 0, and when the apparaparts shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a plan of said tus is not in use the belt C is shifted onto said pulley and of the lower part of the case; Fig. loose pulley. From the pulley c the cable 0 5, an elevation projected from Fig. 4; Fig. 6,. passes over a grooved carrier-pulley 0 which 25 an elevation of the same parts as are shown turns loosely on a stud c projecting from a in Figs. 4 and 5 in a lineparallel with the axis standard D, secured to the cashiers desk B. of the tubular portion of the case; Fig. 7, a The cable 0 passes from said last-named sectional isometric view, showing a part of grooved pulley over a number of grooved the cashiers desk, the pulleys which drive the change-pulleys F and through a slotted tube 30 cable and hold the same taut, carrier-pulleys E over anothercarrier-pulley c thence under which support the cable and the end portions a movable grooved tension-pulley c and over of the tubes in which the cable travels, with another carrier-pulley 0 supported upon a the partswhich discharge the carrier from fioor-bracketc The tension-pulleyc isjourthe line at the cashiers deskand which renaled in a fork c, which is weighted'or con- 5 ceive the carrier from the cashier; Fig. 8, a nect-ed by a spiral spring 0 to the floor or central horizontal section of a part of the slotany stationary object in such a manner as to ted tube in which the cable travels at the keep a uniform tension on saidcable. The cashiers desk, showing the slot through which direction in which the cable travels is varied go the cashier engages the carrier with the cable; at desirable points by said change-pulleys F,

40 Fig. 9,a vertical section on the line 0 0 in Fig. as represented in Figs. 4 to 6, each of said 8; Fig. 10, a plan of the under side of the depulleys being arranged in a nearly circular vice which discharges the carrier from the case, formed in two equal nearly-circularparts cable at the cashiers desk; Fig. 11, an isoff, provided at their adjacent edges with metric view of parts of the slotted tube, a parallel segmental annular flanges f fflsaid 45 tube-supporting hanger, a switch-box orsalesflanges being secured toeach other by bolts' inans station, part of the cable, and the caror screws f" and the casehavinga central hole rier; Fig. 12, a plan of the delivery end of the f to receive thearbor f, on which the changeswitch-box and switch; Fig. 13, a plan of a pulley F turns. The case F'is providedwith part of said switch-box and the switch-finger; two short segmental tubular projections f f 50 Figs. 14 and 15, central vertical sections, lookthe axes of which are tangential to the boting from opposite directions, on the line 14 14 tom of the groove f of the pulley F, contained in Fig. 13; Figs. l6 and 17,transverse sections within said case, said segmental tubes f 3 f receiving adjacent ends of the adjacent sections e of the slotted tube E, and .being ,ar-

ranged at suitable angles to vary the direction of the cable as desired, and each being wholly secured on a separate half or part ff of said case, (as bycasting in one piecetherewith.) The end of the slotted tube-sections e are inserted in the segmental tubes and retained therein by one or more set-screws f which turn radially in said segmental tubes and thrust against said tube-sections, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The'tube-sections are straight between adjacent cases F. The tube-sections e are each slotted from end to end at c, the slot being on the under side of said tube-sections, where said sections are approximately horizontal, except near cases F, where said slots are, when the following tube-section is approximately horizontal, gradually bent up to the outer side of the tube-sections, and the slot in one tube-section is made continuous with the slot in the next tube-section by arc-shaped plates f f secured by screws f or otherwise to the parts f f of the case in such a manner as to leave a space e or continuation of the slot e between said plates f f $1161 atthe intermediate case F.

The carrier -G consists, essentially, of a pouch g, having a flap 9 or other receptacle, capable of being opened and closed and .of

receiving and retaining money, checks, or

other small articles, and provided at the top with two upwardly-proj ectin g books 9 g the shanks 9 ,9 of which are rigidly secured to said receptacle, and the upper portions or hooks proper g g of which are turned at about right angles to said shanks in opposite directions, the shanks of said hooks being at such a distance apart from each other greater than the width of the slot 6 that when said hooks proper are arranged to reach beyond the cable 0 .and across the same, the shanks being in said slot, the. carrier cannot turn sufficiently to allow said hooks to be disengaged from said cable. The combined diameters of the cable 0 and shanks g g are also slightly greater than the width of the slot e, so that the cable is bent in opposite directions by said shank g g of the carrierhooks, as shown in Fig. 19, when said hooks are in the slot and in engagement with the cable, so that the carrier is driven by fricsion g and holes 9 9 leading outward in opposite directions from said slot 9 and being of a size to receive and fit the lower ends opening 6 g 9 of the shanks of the carrier-hooks, said lower ends being bent outward in opposite directions to enter said holes and being retained in said holes by a plug g, inserted in said slot 9 By making the hooks of wire and making their hook ends and supporting ends of equal length said ends are rendered interchangeable. The hooks are of course interchangeable.

WVhen the cashier or person at the central station or desk B wishes to send a carrier to .an outlying station, he uses the receiver shown in Figs. 7 to 9, the same consisting of an enlarged end section E of the tube E,

provided with an opening or enlargement e of the slot c, said openings e having sides 6 6 which converge until they are a distance apart not greater than the widthof said slot 2', andlead into said slot. The hooks of the carrier are thrust up into theopening 6 one book on eachside of the cable, and the carrier is turned until the upper ends of the hooks are over the cable and the shanks of the hooks press against the cable and let go,

.or, rather, the carrier being lightly ,held will be snatched out of the hand. The top of :the receiver is depressed at e to prevent the carrier being raised so high in the receiver as to carry the stop hereinafter described into the The carrier in coming from an outlying station to the central station is released by the discharger E (shown in Fi s? .and 10,) which is also in elfect an end section of the tube E, having a continuation of the slot 6' for a short distance, after which said slot has a curved deflection and enlargement e", so that the front book of the incoming carrier is allowed to swing away from the cable, and is crowded 0E from said cable by the curved side 6' of said enlargement striking the shank of said fronthook, the upper arm of said front hook reaching over the cable toward said curved side (2 When the front hook of the rapidly-moving carrier strikes said curved.

side 6 (which crosses the path of the cable,) the carrier is given .a rapid rotation about its vertical axis, Which causes the rear hook of the carrier to be disengaged from the cable and to fall below the same, the hooks dropping through the enlargement e.

D-ischargers E and receivers E Figs. 11 to 17, on substantially the principle of the discharger and receiver at the central station are provided at each outlying station, but modified in such a manner as not to prevent the passage through them of carriers to or from other outlying stations, the discharger and receiver at each station being, for convenience, arranged in a-switch-box E, which connects adjacent sections of the tube E, and is provided in its bottom with a straight continuation of the slot e in said tube. The receiver E ,if made likethat at the central station, would allow a carrier intended to pass beyond said receiver to turn .and fall from the cable, and the .discharger E would discharge every carrier which entered it. The receiver E is therefore provided with a tongue e e" at each side of the slot e, arranged at a distance apart equal to the width of said slot, the ad jacent sides of said tongues being parallel and the tapering points of said tongues reaching nearly to the converging sides e e of said receiver,1eavingjust space enough between said points and converging sides to allow the shanks of the carrier-hook to pass between them. The hooks of the carrier to be sent to the central station are thrust upward into receiver E one 011 each side of the cable and tongues, and then turned over the cable, just as in using the receiver E above described.

The spaces between the points of the tongues e 6 are too narrow and the time occupied by a carrier in passing them is too short to allow the carrier to turn sufficiently to become disengaged from the cable C, and even it the hooks should become partially disengaged from said cable they would be thrown back into engagement with said cable by their shanks striking the converging sides e e of the receiver E The discharger E of each switch-box is, or may be, when in operation, an opening e in the bottom of said switchbox, in shape substantially like the dischargeing opening e of the discharger E above described; but the side a of said opening a which corresponds to the curved side 6 of the discharger E is the outer side of a tongue e pivoted at e, and having a straight side e, which normally forms one side of the slot 6'; but said tongue is capable of being moved across said slot, so that the curved side e forms a curved continuation of a side of said slot, in which case the shanks of the carrier-hooks will strike the curved side of said tongue and the carrier will be driven into the discharge-opening e and rotated, as above described, and unhooked from the cable G. The tongue e is provided with an upwardlyextending arm a, to which is connected one end of a spiral spring 6 the other end of said spring being secured at e to the inside of the bottom of the switch-box, the contraction of said spring normally holding said tongue or switch in a position to open the slot 6 and close the discharge-opening e" A horizontal transverse rock-shaft II is journaled at 7t 7t in the sides of the switch-box E is connected above the axis of its journals by a link 7L2 to the arm e of said tongue or switch 6 and is provided with a down-han gin g arm 7L3, adapted to be struck by a, stop or switch pin 9 which projects upward from the bar g of the carrier intended to be stopped. The distance between the lower end of the arm h and the guide-slot e in any switch-box is different from such distance in any other switch-box, and is equal to the distance between the switch-pin and the middle of the bar g on the carrier intended to be stopped by such switchbox, and said arm 71,3 and switch-pins are made so narrow that there may be placed upon the cable at the same time as many carriers as there are switch-boxes, and each carrier will be stopped by its own switclnbox and no other. By providing the bar 9 with a series of holes 9 equal in number to the switchboxes and arranged at suitable intervals, as shown in Fig. 11, each of said holes being adapted to receive and hold a switch-pin g, the carrier may be adapted to be stopped at any switeh box by inserting the switch-pin 1n the proper hole. The tube-sections c are supported by hangers D, "depending from the ceiling or by other usual means, and the end sections E E are supported in a similar manner or by brackets (Z d, projecting from the standard D and having tubular ends 61 d", which surround the cable C and enter said end sections. The tube-sections e are coupled to the end sections E E and to the switcl1- boxes by any usual means. The sides of the slot 6 constitute parallel guides, the principal object of the body of the tube being to connect these guides, so that, if desired, portions of the tube may be removed at intervals to make the same lighter, provided the sides of the slot or the guides remain continuous and properly supported.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of a traveling cord or cable, a carrier provided with hooks adapted to extend across said cord in opposite directions, and parallel guides arranged below said cord at a distance from each other less than the combined diameters of said cord and of the shanks of said hooks to hold said hooks in engagement with said cord and to cause said carrier to travel with said cord, as and for the purpose specified. V

2. The combination of a traveling cord or cable, a tube surrounding the same and provided with a longitudinal slot, a carrier provided with books adapted to extend into said slot and over said cord from opposite sides thereof, said slot being narrower than the combined diameters of said cord and of the shanks of said hooks to prevent said books from being disengaged from said cord and to cause said carrier to travel with said cord, as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination of a traveling cord or cable, tubes, each surrounding said cord and provided with a longitudinal slot, a pulley on which said cord travels to change the direction of motion of said cord, a case inclosing said pulley and connecting adjacent tubes and provided with a slot continuous with the slots in said tubes, and a carrier provided with hooks adapted to extend into said slot and over said cord from opposite sides thereof, said slot being narrower than the combined diameters of said cord and of the shanks of said hooks to prevent said hooks from being disengaged from said cord and to cause said carrier to travel with said cord, as and for the purpose specified.

l. The combination of a traveling cord or cable, tubes, each surrounding said cord and provided with a longitudinal slot in the under side thereof, a grooved pulley carrying said cord and changing the direction of the motion thereof, a case inclosing said pulley and connecting adjacent tubes and provided with a slot continuous-with the slots in said tubes, said pulley rotating in the plane in which both said adjacent tubes lie, and the slot in said case being in the plane of the axis of said tubes, and the slots in said tubes being curved near their ends to enter the slot in said case, and a carrier provided with hooks adapted to extend into said slot and over said cord from opposite sides thereof, said slot being narrower than the combined diameters of said cord and of the shanks of said hooks to prevent said hooks from being disengaged from said cord and to cause said carrier to travel with said cord, as and for the purpose specified.

5. The combination of a traveling cord or cable, a tube surrounding said cord and provided with a longitudinal slot, a carrier provided with hooks adapted to extend through said slot and over said cord in opposite directions, said slot having parallel sides and being narrower than the combined diameters of said cord and the shanks of said hooks to keep said hooksin engagement with said cord, said tube being also provided with an opening at each station to enable said hooksto be thrust into said tube on opposite sides of said cord and turned to engage said cord, as and for the purpose specified.

6. The combination of a traveling cord or cable, a tube surrounding said cord and provided with alongitudinalslot, anda carrier provided with books adapted to extend through said slot and over said cord in opposite directions, said slot having parallel sides and be- 1ng narrower than the combined diameters of said cord and the shanks of said hooks to keep said hooks in engagement with said cord, said tube being provided also with anopening at each station, having sides which converge in the direction in which said cord travels to the sides-of said slot and are continuous therewith to enable said hooks to be thrust into said tube on opposite sides of said cord and turned to engage said cord, as and for the purpose specified.

7. The combination of a traveling cord or cable, parallel guides arranged below the sam e, and slots at each station in said guides converging in the direction said cord travels into the space between said guides, and a carrier provided with books adapted to extend up into said slots and over said cord in opposite directions, the space between said guides bein g narrower than the combined diameters of said cord and the shanks of said hooks to keep said hooks in engagement with said cord and to enable said hooks to be placed on opposite sides of said cord and to be engaged with said cord, as and for the purpose specified.

8. The combination of a traveling cord or cable, parallel guides arranged below the same, and slots at each station in said guides converging in the direction said cord travels into the space between said guides, and the sides of each slot converging toward each other, and a carrier provided with books adapted to extend up into said slots and over said cord in opposite directions, the space between said guides being. narrower than the combined diameters of said cord and the shanks of said hooks to keep said hooks in engagement with said cord and to enable said hooks to be placed on opposite sides of said cord'and to be engaged with said cord,as and for the purpose specified.

9. The combination of the traveling cord or cable, parallel guides arranged below the same, a lateral opening at the salesmans station in one of said guides, a carrier provided with hooks arranged at a greater distance apart than the diameter of said cord and adapted when placed on opposite sides of said cord to be engaged therewith by turning said carrier in one direction and to be disengaged therefrom by turning said carrier in the other direction, and a pivoted tongue arranged to close said opening and to make the side of said guide continuous and adapted to be turned across the space between said guides to make said space continuous with said opening and by striking said hooks to turn said carrier to disengage said hooks from said cord, as and for the purpose specified.

10. The combination of the traveling cord or cable, parallel guides arranged below the same, a lateral opening at the salesmans station in one of said guides, a carrier provided with hooks arranged at a greater distance apart thanthe diameter of said cord and adapted when placed on opposite sides of said cord to be engagedtherewith by turningsaid carrier in one direction and to be disengaged therefrom by turning said carrier in the other direction, a pivoted tongue arranged to closesaid opening and to make the side of said guide continuous and adapted to be turned across the space between said guides .and to make said space continuous with said opening and by striking said hooks to rotate said carrier to disengage said hooks from said cord, and a lever connected to said tongue to turn said tongue and adapted to be struck by a stop with which said carrier is provided, as and for the purpose specified.

In witness whereof I have signed .this specification, in the presence of two attesting witnesses, this 31st day of October,'A. D. 1890.

CHARLES F. PARKER. Witnesses:

Ron. PHILLIPS, GEO. S. HOOKER. 

